Flexible and wearable electronics have recently emerged as a potential solution for next-generation electronics for healthcare, sports, transport, military, soft robotics, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and other applications. However, these devices are still at a fledgling stage due to the use of traditional manufacturing processes, lack of compatible power supply, poor commercialization capabilities, and integration problems. Here, we present 3D printing approaches for developing batteries and supercapacitors for flexible electronic applications. Such manufacturing techniques can revolutionize the rapidly growing field of flexible and wearable electronics due to their several attributes like; rapid production, simplicity, capability to produce size and shape versatile patterns, computer-aided design, user control, and environmental friendliness.(1-4) Different aspects of 3D printed supercapacitors (such as; device design, ink preparation of electrode/ electrolyte components, rheology control of inks, surface modification to get good print quality, electrochemical performance of printed devices, and flexibility analysis) will be discussed in detail with a focus on future requirements.

References

1. Sundriyal P, Bhattacharya S. Scalable micro-fabrication of flexible, solid-state, inexpensive, and high-performance planar micro-supercapacitors through inkjet printing. ACS Applied Energy Materials. 2019;2(3):1876-90.
2. Sundriyal P, Bhattacharya S. Inkjet-printed electrodes on A4 paper substrates for low-cost, disposable, and flexible asymmetric supercapacitors. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2017;9(44):38507-21.
3. Sundriyal P, Bhattacharya S, editors. 3-D Printed Electrode Materials for Low-Cost, Flexible, and Stretchable Energy Storage Devices. ECS Meeting Abstracts; 2019: IOP Publishing.
4. Sundriyal P, Bhattacharya S. Textile-based supercapacitors for flexible and wearable electronic applications. Scientific reports. 2020;10(1):1-15.